Origin of Christianity

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Transcript of Origin of Christianity

Origin of ChristianityBUILDING BACKGROUNDOrigin HistoryAccording to the Bible, Jesus was born in a small town called Bethlehem (BETH-li-hem) at the end of the first century BC and was raised in Nazareth. Jesus’s mother, Mary, was married to a carpenter named Joseph. But Christians believe God, not Joseph, was Jesus’s father.Who IS Jesus?Jesus of Nazareth was the man many people believed was the Messiah—a great leader the ancient Jews predicted would come to restore the greatness of Israel.

Jesus’s life and teachings form the basis of a religion called Christianity. His story is outlined in the Christian holy book, The Bible.The Life of JesusAs a young man Jesus lived in the town of Nazareth and studied with Joseph to become a carpenter. Like many young Jewish men of the time, Jesus also studied the laws and teachings of Judaism.

At about the age of 30, Jesus had begun to travel around, perform miracles and teaching about Christianity. Stories of his teachings and actions from this time make up the beginning of the New Testament.Jesus drew many followers with his ideas. At the same time, his teachings challenged the authority of political and religious leaders. They arrested him for this and he was crucified (death being nailed to a cross).

Jesus rose from the dead and vanished from his tomb three days after he was crucified. Now Christians refer to Jesus’s rise from the dead as the Resurrection (re-suh-REK-shuhn).

After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples (his followers) and taught them how to spread his message.In the first century AD, Roman soldiers occupied Judea, but the Jews living there held firmly to their own beliefs and customs. During that time, one religious teacher began to attract large followings among the people of Judea. That teacher was Jesus of Nazareth.Crucifixion/ResurrectionTeachings of JesusDuring his lifetime, Jesus traveled from village to village spreading his message and performing miracles among the Jewish people. Through this, many believed Jesus was the Son of God. As he traveled, he attracted many followers. These early followers later became the first Christians.Jesus' First MessageMuch of Jesus’s message was rooted in older Jewish traditions. He emphasized two rules that were also in the Torah: love God and love other people. Jesus expected his followers to love all people, not just friends and family. He encouraged his followers to be generous to the poor and the sick. He told people that they should even love their enemies.Jesus'Second MessageAnother important theme in Jesus’s teachings was salvation, or the rescue of people from sin. Jesus taught that people who were saved from sin would enter the Kingdom of God when they died. Many of his teachings dealt with how people could reach God’s kingdom.FollowersThe Apostles were 12 men whom Jesus chose to receive special teaching. During Jesus’s lifetime they were among his closest followers and knew him very well. Jesus frequently sent the Apostles to spread his teachings.

Peter, became the leader of the Apostles after Jesus died. Peter traveled to a few Roman cities and taught about Jesus in the Jewish communities there.

The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)are the first four books of the New Testament and are all accounts of Jesus' life and teachings, told by different men.PaulProbably the most important person in the spread of Christianity after Jesus’s death was Paul of Tarsus. Although he had never met Jesus, Paul did more to spread Christian beliefs and ideals than anyone else. He had so much influence that many people think of him as another Apostle. After Paul died, he was named a saint, a person known and admired for his or her holiness.Spread ofChristianityAs Christianity became more popular, some Roman leaders became concerned. They looked for ways to put an end to this new religion. Some of these officials even arrested and killed Christians who refused to worship the gods of Rome. For these reasons, Christians were forced to meet in secret.

Most of Rome’s emperors were tolerant and let Christians worship as they pleased. However, a few emperors in the 200s and 300s feared that the Christians could cause unrest in the empire. To prevent such unrest, these emperors banned Christianity.SLE Focus:I can describe theorigin (people, place, time) of Christianity.SLE Focus:I can explain the basic beliefs of Christianity.SLE Focus:I can describe how a person's religion affects how they live and treat others.Key TermsMessiah: great leader the Jews felt would come to restore Israel's greatnessOld Testament: portion of Bible written before Jesus' time. Hebrew Bible is most of Old Test.New Testament: portion of Bible that tells the history, story and teachings of Jesus' time and beyond.Disciple: a follower, in this case, of ChristianityParable: story that teaches a lesson on how to live, often told in easy-to-understand mannerSaint: a person admired for their holinessCheck for Understanding (on 1/4 Sheet of paper)1. What is the origin (person, place, time) of Christianity?

2. As a youth, what two things did Jesus study?The Spread of ChristianityCheck for Understanding (on your 1/4 Sheet)3. Why were the Roman leaders fearful of Jesus?

4. What were Jesus' two main messages?1. What cities had Christian populations in 300?2. Why does Asia Minor have so many Christian populations? (map on page 54 in your textbook)